He Thought He Could Pass the 40-Question Test With an 80 – Dick G.

About This Speaker Tape

A toddler bouncing off the walls for another drink Dick G. never knew a 'social' phase of drinking. He climbed the corporate ladder in Chicago with a gray flannel suit and a martini lunch using corporate planning to map out a life of promotions that never brought peace.

The wreckage is a blur of blackouts and American Express bills for flights to cities he can't remember visiting. After a moment of clarity in his drinking chair on April 15 1974 he nearly fled to Los Angeles to die in a room above a liquor store. Instead he crashed his car into a phone booth and called AA.

He navigates a series of 'phases'—from the 'trophy phase' where he tried to speed-run the 12 Steps in a single day to the 'save them all' phase where he almost became a minister to carry the message. Through the guidance of his sponsor Roy R. he eventually finds a balance between ambition and surrender.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Childhood memory: Bouncing off the walls as a toddler trying to get more drinks.
• 4:12 The 'nectar of the gods': Discovering martinis on Michigan Avenue and the corporate climb.
• 7:30 The 'geographic cure' move to Indianapolis and the American Express bills for mystery trips.
• 10:15 April 15, 1974: The moment of clarity in the drinking chair and the plan to flee to LA.
• 12:40 Laughter: The 40-question test and the realization that the 'test was fixed'.
• 15:20 The 'pull-string doll' sponsor: Roy R. and the 90 meetings in 90 days suggestion.
• 18:45 The 'trophy phase': Attempting to finish the 12 Steps in one day and waiting for a spiritual awakening.
• 22:10 The 'save them all' phase: Enrolling in a seminary to become a minister.
• 26:30 Moving to Illinois and the conflict between his 'real AA' and the local meetings.
• 29:15 Growing together: The relationship with his wife Carolyn C. and the role of Al-Anon.